For the Love of a SOLDIER
by Shinigami Ree
Summary: Slight AU. Five years ago, Aeris met and fell in love with the famed general, Sephiroth. Now, as she & her friends chase him across the planet, she wishes desperately to have him back. When her wish is granted, it causes unexpected problems for the group.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes:** So happy to finally be able to post this. I wanted to try my hand at the Sephiroth/Aeris pairing, and decided to come up with a unique twist. Updates may or may not be frequent, I'm pushing myself to write at my best with this._

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"I'll be back in two weeks, little Cetra. We'll get everything arranged then." _

A hug, surprisingly tender, especially coming from a SOLDIER. Lips against hers, the gentle kiss showing how much he cared for his flower girl. As sure of himself as he was, he still had trouble telling the pink-clad girl how he felt. It still felt so odd saying those three little words. His kisses were far more efficient at conveying such emotions.

Boots thumping against the church's wooden floor, the soft noise of leather brushing against leather, and he was gone.

His companion remained a moment longer, grinning broadly at the girl. The black-haired man's grin could show so much...but now, all the half-Cetra could see in it was her friend's happiness. He was happy for them, her and her silver-haired love. A little jealous too, maybe, after all, she and he had once been in love. But now, he was just happy.

A wave of a hand, light reflecting off his single shoulder guard, and he too was gone, leaving the brunette alone in the church.

A voice, unheard by human ears, reached her, and she held her hand up, studying the golden band around her ring finger. The voice whispered something else, and the girl's hand dropped to her chest, closing protectively around the tiny gold locket she wore.

"Bring him home safe, Planet." She whispered to herself, smiling softly

Six days later, word of the SOLDIER's death reached the young woman.

-------------------------  
Five Years Later...  
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They say the truth hurts. Aeris Gainsborough knew this, yet still she had sat quietly and listened as Cloud told everyone how Sephiroth had gone insane at Nibelheim. How Sephiroth had believed himself to be an Ancient, a Cetra. How he had killed everyone in the town, tried to kill Cloud and Tifa, how Cloud had faced off against him in the end. And Cloud's story had ended there, despite Barret's loud protests. Cloud had said he didn't remember how it had ended, how he had survived the encounter. All Aeris could do was wonder how much of it had been a lie. And why would Cloud lie in the first place?

Aeris knew that Zack had gone with Sephiroth on that ill-fated mission, yet not once was her outgoing ex-boyfriend mentioned. Zack was not the easily forgotten type either. She also knew that Sephiroth was not a Cetra, and she knew that Sephiroth knew that. She knew, of course, that Sephiroth was a soldier, a warrior, a man who had built his reputation on and earned his rank for his tactical expertise and ruthlessness, but still...it was so hard to believe that he would massacre a town full of innocent people. There had to be a logical explanation for everything; she just couldn't find it yet.

Cloud and Barret had left to buy supplies earlier, and just a little while ago, Nanaki and Tifa had left as well, leaving Aeris alone. Aeris had wanted to speak up before they left, to say that Cloud's story was a lie, but the Planet had warned her not to. The Planet didn't speak exactly; it conveyed its messages, warnings, and such through emotions, though on rare occasion, it did use words. An awful dread had filled her the moment she opened her mouth to speak against Cloud, and so, the warning understood, Aeris had kept quiet.

Now alone in the inn room, Aeris sat down and sighed deeply. She thought she had come to terms with Sephiroth's death, thought she had come to terms with the fact that he wasn't coming back, that there would be no happy ending for them. Shaking her head, she stood and paced around the room, pausing as she came back to her bed. She reached for her pack and dug through it, pulling out her locket. Letting the fine gold chain slip through her fingers, she held the locket, and shut her eyes, fighting back tears as she touched the other object hung on the chain. The ring Sephiroth had given her, a simple golden band. It had been four years since she had last worn it, but it had never been far from her, always strung on the locket's chain.

Sitting down on the bed, she flipped the locket open, running her finger over the inscription on one side. _I love you, little Cetra_ was the simple message, but it was the picture in the other side of the locket that Aeris treasured. It showed herself and Sephiroth standing together, the famed ex-general resting his head on her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist, while her hands rested on top of his. As usual, the expressions on their faces brought a smile to Aeris's. She looked exuberantly happy, while Sephiroth had maintained his usual quiet dignity, a small smile on his lips.

The sound of steps on the stairs reached the half Cetra, and she snapped the locket shut and placed it back in her pack, quickly wiping tears away. By the time Tifa opened the door, Aeris had composed herself again. The younger woman ran in, grabbed Aeris's wrist, and pulled her to the door, laughing happily.

"C'mon, Aeris, you've gotta see the stars! The sky is so clear tonight, it's amazing!" Aeris eagerly followed Tifa downstairs and outside, to the inn's small porch. She'd seen the stars before, just once.

Sephiroth had taken her outside Midgar's walls, the trip intended as a birthday present for her, and the two of them had camped out that night. Neither of them had gotten much sleep, for once the General realized it was her first time outside Midgar, he'd shown her the constellations. The stars hadn't been the highlight of the night, however. Sephiroth had asked her to marry him that night. For the first and only time in her life, Aeris had made a decision without asking the Planet for advice...

Tifa watched her friend closely, puzzled by Aeris's sudden quiet mood. She'd been pointing out the constellations to the older girl, and at first Aeris had been enjoying herself, laughing with Tifa. And then, she'd gone quiet all of a sudden. Tifa sighed. She'd seen that look before, not on Aeris's face of course, but on other people's. Being a pretty bartender, people had a tendency to talk to her, to tell her their woes. She'd seen that look before. Missing someone, perhaps, Tifa mused to herself, then grinned briefly.

Sighing inwardly, Aeris pulled her attention away from the past, in time to see Tifa watching her. "What's wrong, Aeris? Homesick?" She shook her head, and to her surprise, Tifa giggled. "Thinking about some handsome guy you left back home?" The little inner peace Aeris had pulled together shattered, her thoughts immediately leaping back to Sephiroth.

Tifa's amused look vanished in an instant as she took a step towards her companion, reaching out and resting a hand on Aeris's shoulder. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry Aeris. I didn't mean to poke fun." When Aeris remained quiet, Tifa ventured a question, "He left you, didn't he?"

When Aeris spoke, her words could barely be heard. "No, he didn't leave...he died, a long time ago. It's just...the stars, seeing them reminded me of him. He took me to see them once...and asked me to marry him." Shaking her head, Aeris turned around and ran back to the room.

Feeling shocked, and a little guilty for bringing up something that obviously still bothered Aeris, Tifa plopped down on the porch, wrapping her arms around herself. She blew out a sigh, feeling terrible for trying to make a joke out of it. As soon as they sorted out this whole mess with Sephiroth and Shinra, she thought to herself, she'd have to find a way to help Aeris with this.

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Many thanks to my beta, Kitahoshi! 

R&R, please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes: **...don't expect the next one to be this long...gahh...braindead now... Also, _italics_ equals dreams or flashbacks.

And, since Afficiando left me such a lovely review...dude/dudette, your words honor me. I hope you love this chapter too.

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_She was back in Midgar, back in the slums where she always sold her flowers. People were walking by, striding right past her as if she wasn't even there. "Hello?" Aeris called out, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt so uneasy... And no matter what she tried, no seemed to see her. She even tried to block their paths, only to have the people walk right through her. It was as if she was a ghost...or maybe the people were the illusion._

_A flash of silver caught her attention, and she turned in time to catch a glimpse of black leather disappearing around the corner. Aeris took off running, calling out, "Wait!" Coming around the corner, she saw another flash of silver hair further down the street. Feeling as if her heart would burst, whether from excitement or exertion, she didn't know, she called out again, "Sephiroth!! Wait, please!" She knew it had to be him; there wasn't another person anywhere who had hair like his. Dashing forward, Aeris ran as fast as she could, yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up to the SOLDIER._

_Unable to run another step, she stopped and bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Still winded, Aeris looked up and gasped in surprise. She'd been led straight to her church. The heavy doors made not a single sound as she pushed them open, and, when she looked up, she was greeted by a sight she'd longed to see for the past five years._

_Sephiroth stood in the center of the church, smiling softly at her, his hand reaching for her. The worry and unease disappeared as Aeris stepped forward, placing her hand in his. Looking up at him, she smiled. "Seph...I've missed you so much." Stifling a sob as he pulled her into a tight embrace, she leaned her head against his chest, unable to stop the tears, even as she smiled._

_"I miss you too, Aeris."_

_Something in his tone made her look up, wondering what was bothering him. Sephiroth was still smiling at her, but the smile didn't touch his eyes. She'd learned to read his mood by watching his eyes, and now, his mako green eyes were full of sorrow. "Seph...?"_

"_I'm so sorry, little one. So very sorry."_

---

Upon waking, Aeris was miserable. She'd known it was a dream, but being in Sephiroth's arms, it felt so real. She'd given up on going back to sleep, knowing Cloud would want the group moving soon. So, Aeris had puttered around the room, careful not to wake Tifa, and had gotten ready for the day. Upon going downstairs, the innkeeper had greeted her cheerfully, offering her a cup of coffee. After adding enough sweetner to suit her tastes (Sephiroth had always teased her about how much she added) she sat down at a nearby table to wait for the others to get up.

She didn't have to wait long, for Tifa joined her at the table, clutching her own mug of coffee, still looking like she was half asleep. Nanaki came padding downstairs a few seconds later, and curled up at Aeris' feet, apparently going back to sleep. She reached down and patted the big cat's head briefly, then started sipping at her coffee.

"So...sleep well?" Tifa was playing with her coffee mug, watching Aeris out of the corner of one eye.

"Not really...This is the first time I've spent the night so far from home." Of course she wasn't going to tell Tifa about that dream. She didn't even quite understand it herself. It had been just like a normal dream, nothing life-like at all, until Sephiroth had shown up. Sephiroth had been so real...like he was really there. And it wasn't as if that was the first time it had happened, either. She'd had a dream like that before, right after hearing about Sephiroth's death. No, it was what he'd said in this dream. Sorry for what? ...And that incredibly sad tone of voice... He had never sounded that sad before, not even in that last dream, five years ago...When he'd told her goodbye.

"Aeris, you okay? You look like you're going to cry."

She shook her head, biting her lip to stop the tears from falling. "No, I'm fine. It's just...old memories." Old memories, and bad dreams, she added to herself.

"Oh...thinking about that guy, huh?" Tifa leaned forward, smiling at Aeris. "You know, talking about him might help. We've got some time before Cloud and Barret decide where we're heading next."

Aeris simply shook her head, and pushed the now empty mug away from her. "I don't want to talk now."

"Oh come on, it'll help, I know it will."

"Look, Tifa, maybe later. There's just too much to deal with right now." Like, why they were chasing after a dead man. Aeris sighed and put her head in her hands, resting against the table. Could they even be sure it was Sephiroth? They only had Palmer's word to go on, and Aeris had known not to trust Shin-Ra executives even before she had met Sephiroth.

Of course, they'd seen Sephiroth's massive katana buried in the old President Shin-Ra's back, but still...Aeris didn't want to believe to that it was Seph. Because believing it was Sephiroth opened up even more questions, such as where had he been? Why hadn't he come to see her?

No, Sephiroth was dead. She'd felt him return to the Lifestream, just like she'd felt it when her real mother returned to the Planet. Sighing, Aeris leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table and laying her head on them. She missed home.

Feeling Tifa pat her on the shoulder, she sighed and tried to tune out Cloud and Barret's voices as they came downstairs and headed out. She focused on the decorative border carved into the table, trying to draw her mind away from Seph, but after a few minutes, she gave up. She blew out a sigh and stood and made her way outside.

Cloud waved her over to the group. "Hey, we were about to send Tifa back after you. You ready to go?"

She half turned back to the inn, then smiled gratefully at Tifa when the older woman handed her pack to her. "C'mon Aer! It's a nice day, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and we're far from Midgar! Cheer up some, eh?"

As the group set off, Barret muttered, "Ain't no picnic, this is a mission."

Tifa rolled her eyes at Barrett, dropping to the rear of the group with Aeris. "Cloud said he spoke to someone yesterday, who said he'd seen a guy in a black coat heading in the direction of the Mythril Mines."

The group walked in silence for a while, spotting, and fighting with, the occasional monster, and Nanaki pointed out a flock of chocobos once, but for the most part the walk was quiet. It wasn't until the gang ran into a huge family group of Neurosuferoths that trouble started. Most of them were wiped out by Cloud's Lightning materia, and the survivors split into two groups. The larger group stayed to harass the fighters, and the rest fled, disturbing a nearby Levikron nest.

At the start of the little melee, Aeris had kept her distance from the group, helping out with a well-placed Cure spell, whenever necessary. "Guys! Heads up, more of them are coming!"

Tifa spun and pointed behind Aeris, "Behind you, Aer!"

The flowergirl spun and knocked the first bird to the side with her staff, but the second leaped over her, the bird's heavy wing hitting her head, and knocking the Cetra to the ground as she passed out.

---

_It still felt odd, even a week after breaking things off with Zack. It was for the best really, they both knew they were going nowhere fast. Of course, they were still friends and Zack still came to see her every chance he got and, as usual, he would drag General Sephiroth along._

_She'd gotten used to the General's presence easily enough. Sephiroth was quiet and reserved; she wondered often how the quiet man put up with Zack's usual hyperactive antics. Aeris had lost track of how many times she'd seen the General rolling his eyes at Zack, and there had been more than one occasion when he'd told Zack to stop acting up in such a low, calm tone. Zack had once told her that everyone referred to that tone as the "Do it or Die" tone. As for herself and the General...well, they got on well enough. He was quite interested in her garden, and had even brought her flower seeds shortly after they were introduced. So it wasn't like she was lonely or anything._

_Blowing out a sigh, Aeris checked the flowers in her basket, making sure they were all still perfect, then stepped back out to the edge of the sidewalk, straightening the basket on her arm. "Fresh flowers for sale! Only one gil!" Stepping closer to young man in a suit, she smiled sweetly. "Buy a fresh flower for your sweetheart?"_

"_Aeris Gainsborough. We've been looking for you. Now, if you'll just come quietly." The young man smirked up at her, and Aeris glared at him. Come quietly? She'd do no such thing. She screamed as loudly as she could, threw the basket at him, and took off, running for her life. Why now? She hadn't been through this part of the sector before, all her hiding places were too far away... Maybe he'd give up. She'd made enough of a scene, and Turks preferred to work quietly. Already tired, she slowed down, stopping and leaning over, putting her hands on her knees. She couldn't let them take her back to the lab!_

_Hearing something behind her, Aeris looked over her shoulder, and screamed again, terrified as she realized the Turk was right behind her. Dodging left into an alley, she sobbed as her thighs burned. She was going to be caught this time... Sobbing harder at the realization she pushed herself to run faster. Reaching a dead-end sent her into a fit of hysteria, cut short when she spotted the door. Flinging it open, she staggered in and pushed the door shut behind her. She managed a few more steps before she fell, terror and exhaustion taking their toll, and forcing her to the ground. Outside, she could hear the Turk getting closer._

"_Alright Cetra, it's the end for ya." The Turk laughed, adding, "And a nice promotion for me!"_

_She could hear rapid footsteps, and then a frightened cry. Aeris smothered a sob, knowing the Turk would dispose of whoever had come to help. She yelped as a gun went off, shuddering at the sound of a body hitting the wall._

_The door opened and heavy footsteps echoed through the empty little building, and Aeris curled into a little ball, shutting her eyes. The footsteps stopped in front of her, and someone was pulling her upright, shaking her lightly. "Aeris? Aeris, are you all right? Come on, you're safe now." Sephiroth stood in front of her, holding her up, peering at her in a concerned manner. Going limp with relief, she collasped against his chest, shaking as she clung to him. Keeping one hand on her shoulder, he placed the other hand under her chin, tilting her head back to get a better look at her. "You're the one, aren't you? The Ancient that Hojo's been after for so long."_

"_NO! No, let me go, please!" Whether it was pure adrenaline, or the Planet itself helping her, Aeris didn't care. She pulled away, shrieking in fear as the General caught her by the wrist, pulling her back. "LET GO!! I can't go back, let GO!!" She fought wildly, trying every trick Zack had ever taught her. _

_Sephiroth pulled Aeris back against him, wrapping his arms around her and pinning her arms to her sides. "Now..." He paused, adjusting his grip on her so it wasn't as tight, "I wouldn't condemn my worst enemy to Hojo's lab, so why would I sentence a friend to that fate?" He sighed in relief as Aeris stilled, then twisted around to look at him._

"_You're not...?"_

_Sephiroth shook his head and patted her back reassuringly. "No. Like I said, I would never subject a friend to that kind of fate." They remained like that for awhile, Aeris clinging to Sephiroth, trying to calm her nerves, while Sephiroth tried to get used to Aeris clinging to him._

"_I need to get home... Mom's probably worried about me." Aeris muttered, still clinging to Sephiroth. She yelped in surprise when Sephiroth picked her up, bridal style, and started walking for the door. "I can walk, Sephiroth, put me down."_

_Nudging the door open with his foot, Sephiroth smiled at her. "I want to make sure you don't run into anymore Turks." Stepping out of the doorway, he held Aeris close. "Don't look over there, you don't want to see it." Despite the warning, Aeris pulled herself up and looked over Sephiroth's shoulder, and gagged. Sighing, he shook his head, "I told you not to look."_

_The Turk who chased her lay in a crumbled heap against the wall, his neck obviously broken. "Sephiroth, you didn't have to kill him! Someone's going to notice he's gone, you'll be in so much trouble!"_

"_I tried to pull him away from the door, and he tried to shoot me. I acted in self-defense." He looked straight at Aeris. "Turks go missing all the time. Hazards of their job. That was a rookie, nobody will really miss him."_

_She shuddered, and Sephiroth gave her a light squeeze. "How'd you get here so quickly?"_

"_I was in the neighborhood."_

---

_It had been a few weeks since the incident with the Turk, and Sephiroth and Zack were coming to see her a bit more often. They'd both been a lot more protective since her last brush with the Turks. Sephiroth had even come down by himself, and spent the afternoon helping her tend her flower patch._

_Right now however, Zack and Sephiroth were both there, Zack up to his usual antics, telling the tale of an unfortunate cadet whose prank had gone horribly wrong, and Sephiroth was sitting on a pew nearby, chuckling quietly as Zack related the tale. Aeris' mind wasn't really on Zack, and Sephiroth, noticing this, walked over and sat next to her. _

"_Something's bothering you... What is it?"_

_About to say that it was nothing, Aeris stopped when she realized both her friends were watching her intently, sighed, and started over. "I haven't seen a single Turk in three weeks. It's kinda worrying...are they still after me, are they biding their time, or what? I know I should be happy that they're leaving me alone, but I can't help but feel worried."_

_Sephiroth had a rather odd gleam in his eyes, and he chuckled quietly. "The Turks are actually under my command. They have new orders now, so if they bother you, let me know. They've got better things to do than harrass you."_

_Aeris threw her arms around Sephiroth's shoulders and hugged him, thanking him profusely, then grinned as he hugged her back, just a brief squeeze, but a hug all the same. Aeris smiled and looked up at him, then on an impulse that she'd never be able to explain, she kissed him. Realizing what she was doing, Aeris tried to pull back, and realized that Sephiroth had put a hand on the back of her neck, and was kissing her back. They parted for air, Aeris blushing madly, while Sephiroth's blush was barely noticeable._

"_That was unexpected...and very nice. If...if you want to, we could..." Sephiroth's voice was unusually soft, and Aeris smiled and kissed him again._

---

Aeris woke slowly, to see Tifa hovering above her. "Where am I? What happened?"

The older girl sighed in relief. "One of those Levikrons must have got a good hit on you, cause you passed out. Cloud carried you here, to the Chocobo Ranch. He and Barret and Nanaki are out trying to catch enough chocobos for us to ride on across the swamp."

Aeris nodded. "Shouldn't we go help?"

"You are supposed to stay put for now, and I'm supposed to be watching you, so we are staying here. Let the boys catch the birds, you need to rest Aeris."

The flowergirl settled back on the bed, and drifted back to sleep after a while.

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**Shameless Shout-Outs:** Since Tishannia helped beta this one, I figured I oughta mention her fic. Lost in the Shadows, and it's wonderful. She's far better than I am at focusing in on other characters, too. And as always, Kitahoshi, teh Queen of Bleach-fic, helped out with it too. Yay for betas and writers!


	3. Interlude: Sephiroth

Authoress Notes: A late christmas gift for you guys, since it's going to be awhile before I can post the next chapter...I lost the flashdrive I had it on. I might do more of these introspective pieces later on.

Done from Sephiroth's point-of-view.

Enjoy.

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It was foolish to think death could stop Jenova. A short five years later, and I'm back in a resurrected body, forced to do her bidding again.

It's hard to believe a moment of foolish greed cost me so much. My life, my freedom, my…no, it was going to be your future, too. Because of Jenova, so much has been lost. I can see you, Aeris, and I know what my death did to you.

I miss you, Aeris. I know you miss me too Aeris, but you have to stop following me. Go back to Midgar, stay where you are, go somewhere else, anywhere away from me. Jenova wants you dead, and the further you are from me, the safer you are.

There's nothing you can do for me, Aeris; no way for you to free me from her influence. I don't want Jenova to use my body to kill you, and I won't be able to fight her influence if I ever get close to you.

I'm so sorry, little one.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author Notes:** I fail at updating, I know. Life in general bit me in the ass. Things have been sorted out, but this fic has gotten no easier to write. Enough of my woes, though. Hope a two chapter update makes up for the wait.

These lovely flashbacks will over around chapter six, I promise. By then, we'll be in the main plot. Yes. These chapters are all setup.

And Afficiando...once again, your praise makes my day. Dude, you rock, and I truly hope you're still keeping an eye on this.

* * *

Camping that night outside the Mythril Mines, Aeris had come to a conclusion that both reassured and unnerved her. Whatever they were tracking merely looked like Sephiroth; it wasn't the man she loved. While this eased her mind on how he could have possibly come back to life, and it somehow made the wanton violence (the Zolom impaled on the tree was going to give her nightmares for days to come) easier to explain. Somewhere inside her, she knew her perception of Sephiroth's personality to be skewed, but still...thinking about what happened in Nibelheim made her feel ill. And yet...whatever the thing they were following was...it looked like Sephiroth, had his strength... Not having an explanation made her nervous. Worse, no matter how many times she spoke with the Planet, pleaded and begged with it, it gave no word of explanation for current events. A night of sleep hadn't made things look any better, either.

Sighing loudly, she leaned back against the grassy ground, staring up at the morning sky. She wanted to return home, back to her flowers and her simple life, where mysterious warriors who looked like her love didn't exist, and couldn't trouble her. The sound of paws on grass alerted her to Nanaki's approach, and she smiled softly as the big cat curled up next to her. Even if life was frustrating and confusing right now, she loved her new friends. She relaxed, trying to pick out the constellations in the evening sky.

The silence was broken by Nanaki's quiet voice. "You are troubled." A statement, not a question. Was she that easy to see through? Or had Tifa been talking to the others? Somehow, she doubted that; Tifa was the kind of person you could trust, like a sister.

She blew out another sigh. "I'm fine, Nanaki. It's just...", she waved a hand in a vague gesture, "everything lately, it's so...confusing."

The feline sat up, peering at Aeris with his good eye. "It is upsetting, knowing that a hero is not what he seems."

Was that a note of bitterness in the cat's tone? Aeris sat up, glancing at Nanaki. "Nanaki? Are you alright? You sound a bit odd."

Turning his head towards her, Nanaki gave her a feline smile. "I'm fine, little sister." Glancing back at the camp, he ruffled his ears. "It seems we will be on the move again soon. Across the ocean, hmm."

As the feline padded back to the camp, Aeris stayed where she sat. Yesterday in the mines, the group had run into the Turks, and thanks to a new Turk (a girl whose hair was just as blonde, if not as spiky, as Cloud's) they knew Sephiroth was heading for Junon. Cloud and the rest of the group had finally agreed that Sephiroth's destination had to be somewhere on the western continent.

She glanced again at the rising sun, then back at the camp, where the rest of the group had just begun to stir. She had a little while yet before they got on the move again, she reasoned as she stretched out on the grass. Time enough for a quick fifteen minute nap, surely.

--

_"...and there's the Big Dipper. I don't remember any of the others."_

_Aeris smiled and leaned back against Sephiroth's chest, feeling safe and content as the SOLDIER adjusted the blanket wrapped around them both. The wind had picked up some, and even on the lee side of the tent, the chilly sting could be felt. The blanket he'd wrapped around them helped keep them warm, though Sephiroth suspected Aeris preferred the heat from his body rather than the scant warmth of the blanket._

_Silence fell over the camp, broken only by the crackle of the fire. She finally broke the silence, speaking just loudly enough for Sephiroth to hear. "Thanks Seph. This is the best present, ever." She meant every word, too. He'd brought her out of town for a camping trip, after a lecture from her mother about bringing her home safe, (Aeris still wasn't sure if it was more hilarious or embarrassing, the way Elmyra had lectured the General), and they'd spent a wonderfully quiet evening together. And he was doing it just because it was her birthday, and she'd complained about not being able to see the stars because of the plate._

_"Aeris? You're not falling asleep, are you?" A hand on her shoulder, the gentle touch bringing her attention to the handsome man she'd fallen so in love with._

_"No. Just daydreaming." She smiled as he slipped an arm around her waist. She supposed it would never cease to amaze her, how incredibly gentle Sephiroth could be. ...She liked him this way, though, even though he was so different from Zack. This felt different, in some way she couldn't quite define. It was a good kind of different though, and she didn't want anything to ever change._

_"Good. I, uh, wanted to ask you something." The hesitation made her look back up at him, faintly surprised to see the light blush on the SOLDIER's cheeks. They'd dated for a year now, she thought he'd stopped stammering a long time ago. "I love you, very much, and I want to keep you safe. I... Aeris, I want you," he stopped for a moment, hesitating, and shook his head. "I'd like you to be my wife."_

_She was silent, trying to wrap her mind around what he'd said, as he continued talking, his smooth voice reassuring her as always. "Wife of the public's beloved general... Hojo wouldn't dare take you from me. I could keep you safe, and I'd never hurt you, I swear. Will you, Aer?" She turned around in his embrace, winding her arms around his shoulders as she kissed him._

_"Yes." Somewhere in the back of her mind was the part of her insisting that she speak to the Planet first, or even Elmyra, but this felt so safe. Surely nothing could ever go wrong._


	5. Chapter 4

**Author Notes:** Next chapter should be up by the end of next week.

Also no flashback this time. Got something better here. Enjoy.

* * *

Aeris sat on the rocks by the beach, still watching the spot where Cloud had jumped from Mr. Dolphin's back to the maze of pipes that would hopefully get him into Upper Junon. Said dolphin was racing around the little beach, squeeing and clicking in delight, with Priscilla standing on shore, cheering the dolphin to ever higher jumps. Despite the sense of foreboding that had nagged at her since they had arrived at Junon, Aeris smiled at the scene. At least Priscilla seemed none the worse for her near-drowning.

Finally rising from her spot, she wandered over to the group, giving Nanaki's ears a good scratch as she passed. They seemed to be arguing over how to get everyone else into Upper Junon.

"We can't all ride the fucking dolphin! We gotta find another way!"

She smiled as she slipped around Barrett, then yelped as Tifa caught her by the arm and pulled her away from the group. "See that elevator over there? While Barrett and Yuffie argue, we're going to convince the guard to give us the grand tour. C'mon." She followed along, not quite sure what Tifa was up to.

"Stop right there. Civilians aren't allowed any further." The Cetra peeked over her friend's shoulder, not really surprised to see how the guard was paying more attention to Tifa's chest than Tifa herself. ...Oh.

"But...we just wanted a tour, sir. Please?" That tone confirmed her suspicions.

"I, uh, guess I can arrange that."

She wasn't at all surprised when Tifa knocked the poor guy out, and ushered the rest of them into the elevator. She was surprised that they managed to get to the ship without getting caught, though. The guards must have been paying more attention to the parade.

And now, she and Tifa were hidden on one side of the cargo bay, the others scattered throughout, hiding amongst the crates down here. The older woman had been trying since they'd gotten there, to get Aeris to talk. "C'mon Aeris. Talking about him won't hurt you, and it might even help some."

She knew, she couldn't ever tell Tifa that Sephiroth was the one. Tifa hated him. So did Cloud. Barrett hated all of Shinra, and even took offense to Cloud sometimes. Yuffie...the pint-sized ninja would explode, she was sure of it. "Alright, alright." It wasn't like she hadn't been keeping this a secret the whole time, though. No one she could have told would have ever believed it unless they saw them together. A slum girl, dating Shinra's prized General? Impossible. Even Elmyra hadn't believed her until Sephiroth had walked her home one day. "He...he was part of Shinra. A SOLDIER, First Class. I...he was pretty high ranking."

"Go on. What was he like?" Tifa had perched herself on one of the crates, and despite being in a Shinra ship, half way across the ocean, it felt very much like she was back in Midgar, just chatting with a friend.

"Quiet. He was kind of shy at first. He saved me from the Turks one day, and I kissed him after that. I...think it started everything, that silly little kiss." She glanced up, and found herself smiling as Tifa giggled. "Really handsome. His eyes were just so intense, such a lovely green, and I don't think it was just from the Mako."

"Nothing like a knight in shining armor, right?" The brunette's giggles started up again.

"More like knight in black leather." She'd always thought that coat looked so good on him. She chuckled then, along with Tifa, feeling more relaxed.

"So, who was he?"

The Cetra just smiled, and shook her head. "I'll tell you later. After all this is over with."

"I'll hold you to that. And see, it is helping." She smiled back as Tifa wandered up onto the deck. Perhaps she'd follow later, for now, she just wanted to sit here and think.

--

In retrospect, perhaps standing up on deck wasn't such a good idea. Not that Aeris was seasick, no, Yuffie had that covered, but a general sense of unease had her quite unnerved. It was the kind of feeling that made you want to hide in a dark corner. Clinging to the railing, Aeris peered down at the water and shuddered. She felt so exposed, out in broad daylight on a Shinra ship, with only a smelly, sweaty, trooper's uniform for a disguise. She may not have had Tifa's particular problems, but she wasn't flat chested either, and she knew for a fact that women weren't allowed in Shinra's armed forces.

She shuddered, and headed back down to the cargo hold, patting Yuffie's shoulder as she passed. Below deck, the cargo hold was silent...there were no troopers chattering as they patrolled, nor were the sounds of their footsteps audible. In fact, if it weren't for the ship creaking, it would have been completely silent...and that was making Aeris want to run screaming. Yet at the same time, something was calling her, luring her, and without thinking, she pulled the helmet off, dropped it to the floor, and wandered towards the far wall, to the door that had been guarded a while ago. The dead troopers she passed went unnoticed, so focused was she on the feeling that was leading her forward. Turning the corner of a stack of crates, Aeris found what the feeling was leading her towards.

Sephiroth stood before her, his back to her... "S-Sephiroth!" The sound of her voice, thick with emotion, snapped her out of her trance, and Aeris remembered, this wasn't, this couldn't be Sephiroth. He turned around, and the sight of his face reinforced this reality. Hatred radiated from him, madness shining in his eyes. Fear became a voice, screaming for her to run, but... She reached out to touch him, not bothering to fight her tears. "Seph...what happened to you?"

A warm glow permeated the air, but Aeris saw only the flicker in Sephiroth's eyes. He looked away, and the aura of malice faded away suddenly. "Aeris?" He was looking at Aeris as if he wasn't quite sure who she was, and that lost look in his eyes was too much for her. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. Sephiroth slowly put his arms around her, and then his lips found hers, and it was just like Aeris remembered, feeling so safe in his arms.

"Oh my god!! Cloud, Sephiroth's down here!" The shrill scream broke the moment, and as Aeris pulled away from Sephiroth's embrace, the warmth faded.

Tifa stood only a few feet away, a look of utmost horror on her face.

* * *

Enjoy the cliffhanger. And remember, reviews do truly inspire me to write. You all can thank Lady FFVII for making me want to write again.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author Notes:** I FAIL. THAT IS ALL.

K, not really. The first half of this sucks. All the way down to the fourth paragraph was written who knows how long ago, and even the fifth and sixth paragraphs are shit. Tifa's part is better.

And I love you guys so much, I'm giving you another cliffhanger, and a great fat timeskip to boot. Don't you love me?

* * *

She woke with a start, staring around the dark room in confusion, before the memories of the past few days caught up with her. Kissing Sephiroth on the ship from Junon. Getting caught by Tifa. Explaining everything to her. And the relief as Tifa accepted the explanation and promised to keep it secret. It helped to just talk about everything, to release the feelings that she'd kept bottled up for so long. But still. No amount of talking would help her deal with what she knew was coming. When they caught up to Sephiroth... even knowing he wasn't her Sephiroth anymore, she still didn't even want to think about it.

And what happened in Coral, and Cosmo Canyon. It had brought the group closer, sitting around the fire in Cosmo, each reaffirming their determination to stop whatever Sephiroth and ShinRa were planning. Even with some secrets out in the open, or perhaps because of, the group was even closer.

Until they'd arrived at Nibelheim, where the sight of the town completely unscathed had rattled them all. A ShinRa coverup, they'd all concluded. Unnerving for Tifa and Cloud, but for Aeris as well. Sephiroth had burned this town to the ground. Sephiroth had killed all the people here. Sephiroth had died here. And it was these thoughts that plagued her sleep tonight. She'd been uneasy since they'd checked into the little inn just before nightfall.

Because that same feeling that had led her to Sephiroth on the ship, was pulling at her now. And just like she had on the ship, she followed it. Even though Sephiroth wasn't the man she knew anymore. Except for that moment. Something had happened, and she didn't understand it. The ShinRa mansion was the last place in town she wanted to be, but this was where the feeling led her. Sephiroth was in here somewhere, and just maybe, whatever happened on the ship would happen again. And maybe this time, he'd stay the way she remembered him.

A flash of something at the corner of her eye, and she turned, peering around uncertainly in the gloom. This building was scaring her half to death. Up the stairs she went, trying to follow whatever it was that she'd seen. The feeling led her to a room, and she froze, knowing that opening the door was a bad idea. Sephiroth was in there. Or rather, whatever was... controlling him. Trying to calm her racing heart, she opened the door, breath catching at how loud it creaked as it swung open...

A single scream rang within the mansion, and the silence settled again, not even the sound of floorboards creaking to break the quiet.

---

She just couldn't sleep. And she was assuming Aeris couldn't either, since the brunette's bed was empty. And that was scaring her. Tifa had accepted the Cetra's explanation for things. For kissing Sephiroth. If it had been Cloud, wouldn't she be doing the same?

Sephiroth had burned Nibelheim to the ground. Everyone in town had died. The people here had scolded them for talking about what had happened, as if they had made the story up. It was downright frightening. She couldn't imagine how it was for Aeris. Knowing that Sephiroth had done this.

She paced around the room some more, examining her materia, making sure everything was slotted the way she wanted it. She felt like she was waiting for something, for the signal to the start of some huge fight, some awful thing to happen. If Aeris would just come back inside, everything would be alright. Tifa didn't even WANT to examine where that idea had come from. Nor did she want to think about how the pink clad girl had gotten out without waking her.

So much anxiety. She could hear Cloud and Barret snoring in the next room, and envied their deep, oblivious sleep. Nanaki slept peacefully too, curled up at the foot of Yuffie's bed. She could hear the ninja muttering nonsensically in her sleep, hear the slight purrs from Nanaki as he slept soundly. None of the familiar noises helped soothe her at all. Aeris should be there as well, dozing silently, so she could sleep too. But...

A scream rang out, the noise seeming to echo around the room, shattering the silence.

Tifa screamed too, startled by the shriek, and Nanaki was awake in a flash, looking around the room, appearing tense and battle ready. "G-get Cloud. And Barret." The cat was gone in a flash, steps unheard as he padded down the hall. She KNEW that was Aeris. She knew their friend was in trouble, and needed their help, now.


End file.
